Investigating Changes in Sea Scallop Shell Strength
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
The U.S. Atlantic sea scallop fishery is the country's second most valuable fishery and the world's largest wild scallop fishery. However, managers and industry stakeholders are concerned about scallop availability, harvest, and revenue declines. One issue is that scallops may produce thinner, weaker shells, further decreasing their health and survival.
The goal of this project is to better understand how changes in ocean conditions affect the survival, growth, and reproduction of scallops. We also aim to assess their vulnerability to stressors such as predators, parasites, and disease. We will study scallop shells collected over a period of more than 40 years to determine where and when biological and environmental stressors are most and least likely to impact U.S. Atlantic sea scallops.
Project goals:
Evaluate how the thickness, strength, and shape of Atlantic sea scallop shells change over time and across different locations, and what factors might be influencing these changes.
Determine and measure how scallops' characteristics are influenced by environmental conditions, habitat types, and natural enemy (predators and parasites) assemblages
Assess the potential of using the ScallApp application to help identify how shell traits are linked to biotic and/or abiotic stressors
Identify how sea scallop habitats overlap with different predators, how this might change in the future
Create maps showing the time periods when scallop shell growth and maintenance will start to restrict the growth of scallops to a size suitable for harvesting or the amount of meat they produce
Project team:
Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation
Becky Smoak - CFRF Point of Contact
N. David Bethoney
University of Connecticut - Lead Institution
Catherine Matassa - Overall Project Lead
Halle Berger
